Round of 16 Champions League leg 1: Manchester City 1-2 Fc Barcelona
Two goals netted at the Etihad Stadium by Luis Suarez gave a conformable lead to FC Barcelona. Aguero preserved City’s hopes and chances by reducing the score to 1-2 in the second half of the match. Leo Messi could have sealed the match-up lat in the game but failed to score on his penalty kick.
The number: 6,93% of teams have come back from a 1-2 deficit, losing the first game at home. To predict a Man City victory will be like gambling on sports and we all know how hard it is going to be at Camp Nou.. but who knows?
Coaches reacts:
FC Barcelona – Luis Enrique
“This was a very good display from our team, we were much better than our opponents. We played a very complete game and we should be very satisfied with that. The aim was always to win the game, we did not care too much about the precise result.
We have to bear in mind the quality of our opponents and how difficult this tie is. I was impressed with everyone and I congratulate my players for the result and their attitude. Players who take penalties will always miss some, but we have full confidence in [Lionel] Messi.”
Manchester City – Manuel Pellegrini
“It is not the best result here at home. We are going to play in Barcelona and we will try and do it the way we normally play. We have a chance. We must try to do it there in the next game.”
On Joe Hart’s save: “It was a very important save. It was an unnecessary penalty. Of course it gives us more chance to try and win in Barcelona but 3-1 would have been a very difficult score to try and overturn.”
“There is hope and we must support that hope by playing the way we normally do and did in the second half. If we don’t play to our strengths, it is not easy for our team to win.”
